Juice extracting machine



March l, 1949. H, sMlTH ETAL 2,463Q125` JUICE EXTRACTING MACHINE 'Arrive/Mfr March' l, 1949. L, SMITH ETAL `2,461,5122'5 JUICE EXTRACTING MACHINE i Filed May 1, 194g,` 4 sheets-sheet 2 hrraewfy 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May l, 1946 March l, 1949. H, SMITH ETAL 2,463,125

JUICE EXTRACTING MACHINE Filed May 1, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 6 5y L4 rfaewf y Patented Mar. 1, 1949 2,463,125 e JUICE EXTRACTING MACHINE Henry L. Smith and Nyal B. Wood, Clearwater,

Fla., assignors to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application May 1, 1946, Serial No. 666,471

. 'I Claims. l

This invention relates to machines for extracting juice from citrus fruits.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and eiicient juice extractor of' the type which rst severs the fruit in two and the presses the juice from the halves.

Another object is to provide such a machine of relatively high capacity.

A further object is to provide such a machine in which the removal .of the rind halves from the pressure mechanism is positive, thereby preventing these rind halves jamming said mechanism.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoingV objects, as well as further objects and advantages, will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a-preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1A is a detail view of a bearing, a rocker, and a link of the invention with portions of the bearing and rocker broken away to illustrate pockets therein into which opposite ends of said link extend.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic rear elevational view of the machine taken in the direction of arrow 6 in Fig. 2 and illustrating the drive mechanism of said machine.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the invention is there shown as embodied in a juice extracting machine 0 having a structural steel frame Il. The frame includes left corner and right corner legs, 2| and 22 respectively, which are suitably connected by lower bracing 23, by upper cross bars 24 and 25, by left side bars 26 and 21 and right side bars 28 and 28. The side bar 28 is connected to the cross bars 25 by vertical bars 30 and 3| and the cross bars 28 and 29 are connected centrally by a vertical bar 32. Supported at their opposite ends on front and rear cross bars 24 are channel irons 35 on which are mounted a pair of motor rests 36. Disposed on the same level as the frame members 25 and joining the left side frame member 21 and verticalbar 32, is a cross bar 31.

Mounted on the frame is a power drive 2 mechanism 48 (Fig. 6) and two juice extracting units 4| and 42 (Fig. 2) which are drivenby and united with the mechanism 48 by drive shafts 43, 44 and 45. The mounting of these drive shafts will thus be described before describing the mechanism 40'or the units 4| and 42.

The drive shaft 43 journals in bearings 46 mounted on cross bars 24. The shaft 44 journals in bearings 41 which rest upon and are fixed to cross bars 25 and 31. Shaft 45 journals in bearings 48 which rest on and are slideably secured to the cross bars 25 and 31 by cap screws 49 which extend-through slots 56 in said bearings. Fixed as by welding to the cross bars 25 and 31 just inwardly from the bearings 48 are stops 5| which limit the inward movement of the bearings 48 in a manner and for a, purpose which will be made clear hereinafter.

Fixed on the vertical bars l3|), 3| and 32 (see Figs. 1 and 2) are rocker blocks 55 on whichare mounted rockers 56, the lower ends of thesev rockers being spaced from the bearings 48 by links 51, the opposite ends of which extend loosely into suitable pockets 51a formed in the bearings 48 and rockers 56. Extending loosely through suitable holes provided in the upper ends of the rockers 56 are bolts 58, the outer ends of which extend loosely through holes in the vertical bars 30, 3| and 32 to receive nuts 59. Trapped between the heads of these bolts and the rockers 56 are coiled compression springs 60 which exert a yieldable pressure against the rockers 56 to urge the bearings 48 towards ensagement with the stops 5|.

The drive mechanism 4|) (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) also includes a countershaft which is journalled in bearings 66 provided on the frame and which has a pinion sprocket 61 and a large sprocket 68. The shafts 44 and 45 are provided vwith gears 69 and 10 `which are of the same diameter and mesh with each other. The shaft 45 also has a large sprocket 1| which is connected by a chain 12 to the pinion sprocket 61. The shaft 43 has a pinion sprocket 13 which is con.- nected by a chain 14 to the large sprocket 68 on the shaft 65. The shaft 43 also has a large pulley 15 which is connected by a belt 16 to a drive pulley 11 of an electric motor 18 which is mounted on the motor rests 36.

It is thus seen from the above description and an inspection of Fig. 6 that energizing the motor 18 drives the shafts 43, 44 and 45 in the directions of the arrows which appear in this figure concentric with the shafts. It is also evident 3 that the shaft 43 is driven at a much higher rate of speed than the shafts 44 and 45.

As units 4| and 42 are identical, unit 4| alone will be described in detail as this will sui-lice for both. It will be understood of course that unit 4| is mountedon and driven by those portions of shafts 43, 44, and 45 which are located between the vertical bar 30 and the vertical bar 32 while the unit/42 is Vmounted on and driven by those portions of these shafts which are located between the vertical bar 32 and the vertical bar 3| (Fig. 2). It is also to be understood that these units are operated simultaneously by the rotation of these shafts by the power mechanism 42.

Juice extracting unit 4| (Fig. 3) includes a rotary disc cutter 85 which is fixed on the shaft 43 and to which citrus fruit such as oranges F are fed through a trough 86 mounted on Va structure 81 which is supported on the left side bars 26 and 21. Straddlingthe disc cutter 85 are two radially disposed series of fruit half receiving cups 90 (Figs. 3 and 4) which are provided on a rotary fruit carrier 9| fixed on the shaft 44. Each series of cups 90 are formed integral in an annular casting 92 which isY secured to the carrier 9| by bolts 93 and is provided with an annular radial `slot 94 which extends centrally through the cups 90. l

Extending from each casting 92 along the inner edge of its periphery are fruit hooks 95 which are adapted to extend through slots 96 in the chute 86, engage the foremost orange Fin the chute, carry this upwardly against the rotating cutter 85 causing this orange to be severed into halves, one of which falls into each of the cups 90 disposed on opposite sides of the cutter adjacent this particularpair of hooks 95. Supported on the frame on each side of the cutter 85 is a guide 91 which guides the fruit halves H into the-cups 90 with the rinds R of the fruit halves facing inwardly (Fig. 3). The guide 91 operates to cam the fruit halves into place in the cups substantially as this is done by the guides y13 and 14 shown in U. S. Letters Patent, No. 2,332,- 177, issued on October 19, 1943 to Henry L. Smith,

A one of the present applicants.

'I'he juice extracting unit 4| also includes a plunger rotor which is xed on the shaft 45r and includes a hub |0| having a ange |02 which is secured by bolts |03 to a rim I 04, this rim having slots |05 through which said bolts pass to permit rotational adjustment of the rim of the rotor relative to the hub thereof. Formed on theV rim |04 are two cylindrical faces |06 Vacross which a? series of transverse bosses |01 extend, thejriinhaving slots |08, one of which extends through" each of these bosses. Mounted the plungers |09 are properly adjusted on thev rotor rim |04 and the latter properly adjusted rotationally relative to the hub |0| of the rotor |00, the plungers |09 mesh with the cups 90 (Fig.

4). Thus, when these cups are empty and the 'springs 60 press the bearings 48 snugly against the stops 5|, a space I6, which is substantially uniform in depth, separates all portions of each cup 90 and spherical head ||5 of the plunger 09 which extends into this cup when this plunger of each series are properly adjusted so as to `Vmesh as aforesaid with the corresponding series of cups 90 on the fruit half carrier 9|, the slots ||1 of this series of plungers are all aligned in the same radial plane Supported on the cross bars 25 and 31 as by angled brackets |25 is a housing |26, including side walls |21, from the lower end of which is suspended a juice funnel |28. In Fig. 1, the front side wail |21 is broken away to illustrate the mechanism enclosed therein. Fig. 2 shows how this front side wall extends upwardly to cover the carrier 9| and plunger rotor |00, as well as the lower portion of the cutter where this side wall encloses the space in which the orange halves are delivered to the cups of the carrier.

The housing side walls |21 also have mounted thereon a, rind ejecting and guidingdevice |30 which includes cross bars |3| and |32 on which a series of parallel rods |33 are mounted. The rods '|33 are arcuately shaped between the bars |3| and |32 so as to be concentric with the shaft 45 and these portions of rods |33 are disposed in closely spaced relation with the radial extremities of the plunger heads ||5 as the latter swing through the lower portion of their path of travel about this shaft. The rods |33 extend beyond the bar |32 to form a rind discharge ramp |35 which terminates at a rind discharge opening |36 in the housing |26.

Fixed on the bar |3| is a pair of rind half ejectors |40, one of which extends into each of the annular radial slots94 of the rotary carrier 9| and has an inner surface |4`| which is a continuation of the arcuate contour of the rods |33 above described. Extending between vertical bars 30 and 32 is an arcuate stripper base |50 which has outwardly turned feet |5| at its opposite ends which are secured as by welding to said vertical bars. Secured by bolts |52 to the stripper base |50 is a pair of strippers |53, each of which lies in the plane of the slots ||1 of one of the series of plungers |09 provided on the plunger rotor |00 (Fig- 3). The housing |26 includes a removable hood |54 which rests on the stripper base |50 and a bracket |55 which is suspended from a transverse angle iron |56 carried by the frame bars 24. The brackets |55 also serve to support the fruit half guides 91. Each hood |54 covers the rotor`|00, disposed therebeneath, While the machine is in operation.

Operation Y tation of the cutters 85 at a high speed and the rotation of the fruit half carriers 9| and plunger rotors |00 at relatively low speeds. It also causes vthe plunger heads |5 of the rotors and the cups 90 of the carriers to mesh as clearly shown in Fig. 4 and above described.

- Fruit of a suitable size such as oranges F are now fed along the chutes 86 leading to the two juice extracting units 4| and 42. In each of these units, the fruit is caught by the hooks 95 of the 'rotating carrier 9| thereof, severed in two to form two halves which fall in the pair of cupsfldisposed on opposite sides of said hooks, these halves being held and in some instances straightened in these cups by the guides 91 as these cups pass under these guides. Thus, as each cup 90 moves into meshing relation with one of the plunger heads H5, it contains a fruit half H and the plunger head moving into the cup con- /taining this half is pressed into the juice bearing structure of that half so as to completely express the juice from this structure and compress the membranes thereof into a dry pulp against the rind R. Some of the juice expressed by each plunger head I I5 enters the slot I I1 of that head and escapes from this through the portion of this slot which is disposed downwardly and uncovered by the rind R. All of the juice extracted in this operation drains downwardly and is collected by the funnel |28 from which it is delivered into suitable containers.

At the moment of maximum penetration of head II5 as the latter swings downwardly and out of said cup. The ejecting and guiding devices I3|i thus retain the rinds R onA the plunger heads |I5 until these rinds move out of contact with the rods |33 opposite the rind discharge openings |36. If the rinds R are not flung oif the plunger heads ||5 by centrifugal force and outward through said openings, they are stripped from the heads II5 by. the strippers |53 entering the slots |I1 as shown in Fig. 3. The rinds thus stripped from the heads I|5 are deposited outwardly on the ramps |35 and gravitate through the openings |36 into a container pro-` vided to receive th same.

While the machine I0.is shown as having two Aextracting units 4I and 42, this may have only a single unit or it may have three or four units.

The fruit handled by machine I0 must be within a certain range of diameters in order for the juice to be eiiiciently extracted therefrom A by a given set of cups and plunger heads. In

view of the variations in diameter of the fruit to be handled, it is preferable to make the cups and plunger heads in one unit smaller than those in another and then segregate the fruit according to size, directing the group to each of the units of the range of sizes suitable to be handled thereby.

From the above description, it is apparent that this invention provides a novel means for extracting juice from fruits having rinds, such as citrus fruits, in a continuous operation in which all of the moving parts are rotary and in which a simple and certain means is provided for collecting and delivering all of the juice at one point and all of the rinds at another point.

We claim:

1. In a juice extracting machine, the combination of: a rotary carrier having pockets opening from the periphery thereof for carrying cut pieces of fruit; means for supplying said pockets with said pieces of fruit with the rinds thereof disposed inwardly; a rotary extractor having a plurality of plungers on the periphery thereof; means for mounting and rotating said carrier and said extractor in meshing relation so that said plungers enter said cups,and press the juice from said pieces of fruit without destroying said rinds; means for removing said rinds from said cups and retaining said rinds temporarily on said plungers; and means for thereafter stripping said rinds from said plungers.

2. In a juice extracting machine, the combination of a rotary carrier having pockets opening radially from the periphery thereof for carrying cut pieces of fruit; means for supplying said pockets with said pieces of fruit, with the rinds thereof disposed inwardly; a rotary extractor having a plurality ofvplungers radially disposed on the periphery thereof; means for mounting and rotating said carrier and said extractor in meshing relation so that said plungers enter said cups and press the juice from said pieces of fruit without destroying s aid rinds; means for removing said rinds from said cups and retaining said rinds temporarily on said plungers; and meansfor thereafter stripping said rinds from said plungers.

3. In a juice extracting machine, the combination of: a rotary carrier having pockets opening from the periphery th'ereof for carrying cut piece of fruit; means for supplying said pockets with said pieces of fruit with the rinds thereof disposed inwardly; a rotary extractor having a plurality of plungers on the periphery thereof; means for mounting and rotating said carrier and said extractor in meshing relation so that said lplungers enter said cups and press the juice from said pieces of fruit without destroying said rinds; an ejector for removing said rinds from said cups, slots being formed in the walls of said cups to accommodate said ejector, said ejector being located so as to retain said rinds temporarily on said plungers when ejecting said rinds from said cups; and means for thereafter stripping said rinds from said -plungers.

4. In a juice extracting machine, the combination of: a rotary carrier having pockets opening from the periphery thereof for carrying cut pieces of fruit; means for supplying said pockets with said pieces of fruit with the rinds thereof disposed inwardly; a rotary extractor having a plurality of plungers on the periphery thereof; means for mounting and rotating said carrier and said extractor in meshing relation so that said plungers enter said cups and press the juice from said pieces of fruit without destroying said rinds; means for removing said rings from said cups and retaining said rinds temporarily on said plungers; and a stripper for thereafter stripping said rinds from said plungers, slots being formed in said plungers to accommodate said stripper.

5. In a juice extracting machine, the combination of: a rotary carrier having pockets opening from the periphery thereof for carrying cut pieces of fruit; means for supplying said pockets with said pieces of fruit with the rinds thereof disposed inwardly; a rotary extractor having a plurality of plungers on the periphery thereof; means for mounting and rotating said carrier and said extractor in meshing relation so that said plungers enter said cups and press the juice from said pieces of fruit without destroying said rinds; an ejector for removing said rinds from said cups, slots being formed in the walls of said cups to accommodate said ejector, said ejector being located so as to retain said rinds temporarily on said plungers when ejecting said rinds from said cups; and a stripper for thereafter stripping said rinds from said plungers, slots being lformed in said plungers to accommodate said stripper.

6. A combination as in claim 4 in which said plungers and cups are moving downwardly during the juice pressing operation and in which said plungers are rising duringsaid stripping operation; and means for retaining said rinds on said plungers after said rinds leave contact with said ejector and until said plungers start to rise.

7. In a juice extracting machine, the combination of: a rotary carrier having pockets opening radially from the periphery thereof for carrying said rinds from said cups, slots being formed in the walls of said cups to accommodate said ejector, said ejector being located so as to retain said rinds temporarily on said plungers when ejecting said rinds from said cups; and a stripper for thereafter stripping said rinds from said plungers, slots being formed in said plungers to accommodate said stripper, the slots in said cup walls and in said plungers lying in va common plane passing through the centers ofr said cups and plungers.

f HENRY/L. SMITH.

NYAL B. WOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Smith Oct. 19, 1943 McKinnis July 18, 1944 Number 

